Lovely waves
by AcursedRagdoll
Summary: All Alfred had ever wanted was freedom, he never imagined he would find that with a gang of dangerous German Pirates and their handsome captain.
1. Freedom and Crates

Lovely Waves

 **Summary: All he ever wanted was freedom, he never imagined he would find that with a gang of dangerous German Pirates and their handsome captain.**

 **A/N: So basically I'm trash and you should never let me write things.**

Chapter one: Freedom and crates

The sun was high as a young blonde man ran down the streets near the docks. On his heels were two British naval officers, armed to the teeth with sabers and pistols. The streets were crowed this time of day, and the young American had hoped to be able to lose his pursuers in the swarming mass of bodies and noise, but so far he had only managed to barrel into people, screaming "I'm sorry" in his mad dash for freedom.

"Freeze!" one of the officer bellowed arms pumping to catch up to the blonde.

"Yeah, right that sound like a great idea!" he snarled back rounding a corner and pushing his legs to move faster.

Alfred wheeled a hard right into a small alley after skirting behind a heavy set baker, looking for any place he could hide. Panic was starting to set in as he heard the men in navy uniforms close in, and it was only by the grace of God that he found a decent hiding spot. Hurdling a crate, he ducked behind some old boxes left lying about in the alley way. Clapping his hand over his mouth he tried to steady his breathing as they grew closer. His lungs screamed for air, but he refused to reveal his location to his would be captors.

"Damn! Where did he go?" one of them asked huffing

"Shit, I don't know. Fuck The Admiral is going to have our asses!" the other cursed spitting in rage.

The pair of officers turned in place a couple of times, in a vain attempt to try and find a clue as to where the American had run off. Alfred watched them intently from his position behind the wooden boxes. Blue eyes focused, body ready to dash at a moment's notice. However, it would be unneeded, as the two officer moved on, heading back to port. The blonde waited another solid five minutes before he dared to even stand, and another before he picked his way back onto the streets. His bespectacled face scanned the crowd, not seeing anything other than sailors and merchants he sagged with relief, his body exhausted from the mad dash. Alfred tucked his hand into his saddle bag at his hip and felt around for a scrap of paper, pulling it out once it was found he sighed with relief. The parchment contained the shipping and docking schedule for the port, having planned his escape for months, he knew today would have been his last chance to escape England, at least before _he_ returned.

Tucking the paper back into his bag he hitched it up higher on his shoulder and made his way back toward the shipyard, trying not to draw suspicion he moved with purpose. By no means was he a stranger to the sea or ships, though he had yet to ever step foot on one. As he drew nearer he could see there was more people than he had originally planned to be there. Massive men in pants worked tirelessly under the hot sun, sweat dripping down their naked backs as they tossed boxes, sacks and barrels back and forth, loading up shipments for the Americas. This was how he planned to escape England, Stow away on a ship, and pray he didn't starve to death before reaching the new world.

Ok so it wasn't the most well thought out plan in the history of mankind, but he had little time to plan his grand adventure.

Alfred slipped past a pair of workers and scanned around for any possible way he could board without notice. Biting his lip, he managed to spot a ship taking on barrels of ale, gunpowder, fruit and cloth. Just a couple yards away were stacks of empty crates, smiling he watched as a man built like a barn tossed in heaps of fabric before turning his back to grab a top panel. Blue eyes counted how long it took the man to dump his load and then turn back around. A smile etched onto Alfred's lightly tanned face as he crunched the numbers. He would have forty-five seconds to get in a crate and hide under the cloth, before the man would hammer on a lid. Perfect. Determined, he put his plan into motion as he scuttled over to the mountain of crates, hiding behind a few he crouched and waited. He counted under his breath, and the second the man turned his back the American made a mad dash.

15, 16, 17…

At twenty seconds Alfred was in the huge box. Gripping onto what must have been at least five pounds of fabric he ducked down and pulled material up over his head and folded himself into a fetal position. Then he waited, still counting in his mind, hand pressed over his mouth. 43,44,45…There was a brief pause and Alfred's heart hammered wildly in his chest. The man outside the crate gave a huff.

"Why are these….?" He mumbled as he reached forward to grab the fabric.

Alfred's heart stopped beating for a few seconds, he could feel the fabric being lifted, and shifting slowly he prepared to run.

"Hurry up Lazlo, this bird needs to be out at sea! Move your lazy ass!" the foreman called out and the man dropped the fabric back in place with a grunt, before placing the lid on top and nailing it shut.

Relief flooded Alfred's body as he settled back down, a small sound almost slipped past his lips when his crate was picked up and carried over to the loading dock. It felt like hours as he waited, the box was hot in the noon day sun and the thick wool he was buried under did nothing to remedy the heat. Still he remained silent and found a game to play to pass the time, scratching a tiny line in the lid every time someone cursed. It was the only thing he could do without alerting the crew around him that he was there. But even that grew boring after thirty minutes. When the Crate he was hidden in was finally moved he sagged in relief his arms and legs had grown numb from their confined position. Sitting up and tried to peer through a gap in the wood.

"Ready… and PULL!"

Alfred's box lurched forward with a sharp force, causing his face to smash into the side of the wood. A cry of pain slipped from his lips and he grasped desperately at his nose. A warm wet feeling touched his fingers and he knew his nose was most likely broken. The men outside pulled again, the net the crates of supplies rested in swayed heavily back and forth. Each heave caused it to swing more and more wild. Alfred tried in vain to keep himself balanced, but every time he managed to get a foot hold he would be knocked around. There was a pause, in the swaying and he sighed, but moments later the crate dropped and he felt his head snap back with such force it cracked the back of his skull hit solid wood and everything went dark.

"alright Closer her up!" Alfred faintly heard a man shout before his lost consciousness.

 **A/N: sorry the first chapter is so short! But i didn't want too much to happen in the first chapter! the second chapter is on its way!**


	2. Raided and Captured

Lovely Waves

 **A/N: Welcome back! I hoped you all loved the first chapter. Things will pick up now!**

Chapter 2: Raided and captured

The first thing that Alfred could recall was the swaying of his boy, then his head smacking into solid wood. The rest was a painful black spot in his memory, though if the blood caked pain in his skull was any indication he presumed he had been knocked out cold. Groaning he looked about, it was dark and hot and cramped. Deciding now was going to be his best chance of getting out he unfolded one of his feet and pressed it to the lid, as he applied pressure he left it give a bit. Smiling he reared his knee to his chest and lashed out, kicking the lid hard and breaking loose some of the nails. He repeated the action and the lid gave a squeal as more nails ripped from place. With a heavy sigh Alfred sat up a bit more and pushed the lid off completely off, greeted by cool sea air he let a pleased sigh slip from his lips.

When Alfred stood up his skull throbbed in protest, his knees and joints aching from the cramped position they had been forced into, and he started to think that perhaps he had been out longer than he thought originally. With a lot of effort, he kicked his legs over the lip and managed to finally plant his feet on the hard wood bellow. A smile creeped onto his face. He had done it; he was on his way to America again. He achieved his freedom. He took a moment to look around, the room was as he thought it would be, dark, dank, and full of shipping crates. At least he wouldn't starve down here, though he knew he had to watch how much he ate so he wouldn't draw suspicion to himself or cause the captain of the vessel any troubles.

"Well, I think that went fairly well. And here I thought something bad was going to happen." He grinned

Alfred should have kept his damn mouth shut.

Not even two minutes after he said that was there an ear splitting crack and the sound of feet stomping across the desk above. Alfred's eyes went wide and he mentally cursed himself for his big mouth. The sounds of metal and pistol being shot rang through the deck floor and the American's heart sunk. Boldly risking it he bolted up the few stairs and pressed his eye against a crack in the trap door. He could barely make out what was happening. Sailors where running around desperately fighting off a crew of brutal looking men. They wore Black sashes across their waists and chests, a key clue to their identity, a skull and cross bones with a bullet between the teeth emblazoned a black flag on the nearby ship. Something in the back of his mind itched at the sight of the flag, as if he knew the emblem, and then it hit him. They were being overrun by pirates, but not just any band.

Schwarz Hund the Black Hound pirates.

And if the Black hound was here that meant Captain Beildschmidt was there.

Alfred could not have been more completely fucked if he had a pistol pressed to his head.

~X-X-X-X-X~

"Captain, we are fast approaching another ship, seems to be a cargo ship by the looks of her sail, I'd say she's English." A short man with long neatly cut hair spoke. A pair of pistols strapped to both hips. His green eyes forceful and intense.

Ludwig turned his head toward his door and raised a brow in interest. "A cargo ship you say?" he smirked and looked over to the white haired man next to him.

"Brother, do ve need supplies?" The red eyed man grinned.

"You know; I think ve do. Ve should go be neighborly and say hallo." The blonde responded.

"Give them hell then. Vash, set course straight for them. Time to drop in and give our regards.".

"Right away Sir." The armed blonde bolted back out barking orders to the crew.

Ludwig shared a look with his brother, his pierced eye brow knitted in stress. The albino smiled wickedly before rising and grabbing his Red and Black coat, tugging it on over his white shirt. His sword was looped around his hips, he downed his beer ale and wiped his mouth with a gloved hand. He looked at his brother expectantly but nodded when he saw the you-can-handle-this-on-your-own look. With that the Albino German grabbed his feathered tri hat and walked out the door.

"Go vith him vould you Luca? Make sure he doesn't go too far ja?" The captain spoke pointedly to the small brunette hovering over the maps.

"Aye sir. Prisoners or bodies?" His voice was small but firm.

There was a pause while he took a sip of Ale. "Bodies, but keep it clean."

With that the brunette nodded and grabbed his own gear, a violet overcoat, his hat and pistol. Saber already on his person he saluted his superior before seemingly vanishing into thin air. The massive man sighed heavily in his chair as he peered into the ale in hand. Listening to the sound of his lively crew.

Outside the captain's cabin the crew was preparing for battle, the men grabbing hooked ropes and swords. Black fabric sashes were tied and steadied across their bodies a symbol for death and destruction to come. At the wheel head, Gilbert Beildschmidt stood with a menacing smile, as he directed the ship towards the target. Below the small brunette was barking out orders to the other crew men, coat billowing in the strong winds. The whole atmosphere onboard changed as they drew in unnoticed. Gilbert could practically taste the blood of the men now.

By the time the cargo ship saw them closing in it was too late to escape. Their heavy ship would never be able to out run a Pirate ship of the Schwarz Hund's caliber, their only hope was to stand and fight. Not that there would be much of one, half the crew barely knew how to shoot a pistol, the other half mediocre at best with a blade. Still It could never be said that the English traders would go down quietly. When the pirate ship caught up the crew had amassed on deck armed and ready to fight. A blast from a cannon was the first shot fired, and the signal for the men to lay down their lives for the glory of the English empire.

Countless pirates swamped the deck as they swung over on ropes, some managed the planks while the more athletic ones simple vaulted the difference with a few strides. Blood was spilt instantly and chaos broke out among the ranks of the traders. As they were pushed backVice captain ******* Gilbert and First mate Luca stepped on board. The older man drew his sword and dove head first into the fray spilling blood as he went. This left the actual job of moving supplies and ordering the troops to the brunette. Green eyes scanned the battle ground and spotted the trap doors. Grinning he made his way over, batting away any stray blow he might encounter.

~X-X-X-X-X~

Alfred swallowed thickly when he saw what was happening, unarmed he could do nothing to help the sailors, and worse yet he wouldn't be much use injured. The thing that made him fear for his life however was when one of the pirates looked his way. They wanted the supplies, and Alfred was trapped like a rat. The second the brunette pirate took a step Alfred jumped off the stairs and bolted to the crates, maybe he could hide unnoticed, and they would leave him be. If he could survive the attack he could get a row boat, rations and pray he could navigate back to the main land. Anything was better than death by pirates at this point. His head pounded, as he swung it about wildly, spotting a crate with a loose lid he opened it and hopped in with the dusty barrels and pulled the lid over his head just as the door swung open and daylight bathed the floor.

Alfred held his breath, and watched as the lone man walked in. He wasn't large by any means, he was actually pretty short in stature and slender in build. His dress was regal, and for a moment the Blonde wondered if this was the feared Captain Ludwig Beildschmidt. He had the captain coat, rich violet color and jewels to match, but the rumors didn't match the body. Still if the man was dressed the way he was then he had to assume he was of high rank. The man stepped in and looked around his pierced lip twitched up in a smile as he took in the sight. Barrels, crates, boxes and kegs filled the space. Walking in farther he set himself to the task of sniffing through them.

"Gun powder, Wine, fabrics, jewels, food, fruits…" he started listing things off, his voice throwing the American off, it was delicate and calming. Not anything like he thought a pirate would sound.

"Ah! Vunderbar, Ale too." He grinned as he stopped in front of the crate Alfred was concealed in.

The blonde pushed his hand over his mouth harder, his breathing hitching as he inhaled through his nose. If he was caught, he doubted he would live long enough to escape. Luca reached out a gloved hand and set it on top of the crate, but before he could open it to check the contents two men burst through the door, blood coating their face and dripping from their shirts. Alfred fought back the urge to throw up as he shuffled back into the crate more. Unfortunately, he stirred up the dust inside and he felt the need to sneeze rise up.

"Sir, we have them on their last legs what are your orders?" the tallest of the two spoke up first, his gold eyes stern.

"That is a question for Vice captain Beildschmidt." He retorted removing his hand from the crate.

"We did, he told us to ask you, something about killing the bastards or something like that sir."

The brunette groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Very Vell, Von Hauten go gather up vhat men you can, I need 'eavy lifters to get this 'aul on the 'und. Willhelm follow me, I need to go clean up the mess."

The taller man nodded as the other ran off to follow orders. The pair left started back up the stairs when they heard a noise. It was faint but Luca heard it. Alfred scrunched up his face, as he struggled to repress a second sneeze, the first one alerting the pirates to his presence. The tension was palpable as the violet clad pirate turned on his heels and stepped back down. The tall crew man redrew his sword, Alfred could feel his stomach lurch as the urge became stronger. He prayed to god he could hold it, prayed the pirate would turn back around and leave.

His prayers were ignored. He sneezed again, this time knocking him back enough to shake his crate.

"vell vell Willihelm, looks like ve 'ave a rat skulking about down 'ere."

Realizing he had no other choice Alfred raised his hands up and balled up his fists, if he was going to be caught, he was at least going to go down swinging. He took a deep breath as he heard the lid creak and wasted no time and standing up sharply and swinging his left fist as hard as he could. There was enough force to his swing to deal serious damage, had he not missed. The brunette raised a brow in surprise before he side stepped and let the stowaway stumble out of the crate, face planting into the floor. Without hesitation Alfred jumped to his feet, fist cocked back ready to swing when he felt the cold bite of steel press firmly against his neck. The sword attached to the hand, a hand that lead up to a violet colored arm, attached to a very pissed off looking pirate.

 _Fuck_

"I thought I 'eard a rat. Vhy are you not fighting vith your crewmates boy?"

"…" Alfred refused to answer, rather he couldn't they weren't his crewmates.

Luca stared at him hard, looking him over taking in his appearance. He twisted his lip into a sneer when he realized the truth. "Ah a stowaway then is it? 'ow utterly amusing."

"Fuck you!" Alfred yelled as he batted away the sword at his throat splitting his arm open in the process.

The force was enough to knock the blade out of the man's hand. Without a second thought Alfred swung and landed a hard blow to his jaw. The brunette reeled slightly from the force and stepped back ducking under the second swing. His green eyes turned dark as he reared back and swiped at the blonde's feet, knocking them out from under him. Alfred went sprawling from the shift in body weight. The jar made his head woozy as he made to stand, but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the familiar cock of a pistol. His blood ran cold when he looked up and stared down the barrel.

"You move one fucking inch, and I'll blast a 'ole in yer 'ead boy"

Alfred didn't even blink.

The stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity. Blue eyes clashed with green in a battle of wills. Willhelm who had remained where he was the whole time simply chuckled at the display. Luca raised a brow in thought, the boy had fight in him, and a damn good left hook. The fire in his blue eyes told him that despite his position he was far from done. Dropping his brow, he glanced over to the door, hearing the commotion of battle di down only to be replaced with the obnoxious laughter of the Vice Captain. IT was a shame really, the boy had put up quite a fight, he was young, and Luca could tell he was built strong, or at least had potential, he had wide shoulders, though not enough muscle by far, and some baby fat still clung to his rounded face. Eyes blinked slowly before he took a step back, his pistol leaving the boys forehead.

"Listen vell boy if you vant to live. You are going to stand up, and put you 'ands behind you 'ead. As of now you are my prisoner, and if you so much as sneeze vithout my permission I vill kill you on the spot. Do I make myself clear?"

Alfred glared defiantly for a moment, but if it meant living, he swallowed his pride. "Crystal." He spat.

The pirate motioned for the American to stand, once up Willhelm walked over and wretched his hands behind his back. Once bent, his wrists were bound and he was being dragged out of the cargo hold by the giant. Outside the remained of the crew had been rounded up and corralled near the mast. Gilbert among them, was cackling with glee as he circled them like a hungry wolf. Alfred took a look around the ship, or what was left of it. Blood coated the deck of the ship, and it smelt of iron and salt. Alfred wanted to vomit. Bodies were strewn about haphazardly, a couple severed arms lay around. Piece of the ship were ripped and broken, the railing cracked from what must have been a brutal match of strength.

"Gilbert! Vhat in the 'ell is this? I told you to keep it clean, I could fucking bathe in all of this." Luca snapped as he strode past Willhelm and Alfred.

The Albino whirled and pouted, actually pouted. His hands going up in mock surrender as the smaller male closed in. "I never agreed to that. Besides, once I get a taste..."

"Jesus Christ. Fine where's the captain then?" There was a pause

"You fucking killed him didn't you." His green eyes narrowed

"My bad." He laughed

Luca looked around and heaved a sigh as he took in the remaining crew. There were not too many, but if they lived this long they must have been strong. Or cowards, by the look of a few. His orders were to kill them all, but with a few men loss of their own crew, he could at least give them an offer.

"Alright listen up you sniveling worms. I'm in a pretty good mood today so I'm going to give a choice. You can join us and live as free men. Or. I can let Vice captain Beildschmidt cut you into tiny pieces and feed ya to the fish. Any takers?"

There was a strong eerie silence as the pirate crew waited, the traders looked around defiantly, not a single one budged. Luca had to hand it to the Brits, they at least were a loyal lot, stupid but loyal. Just as he was about to give the order to Gilbert one man slowly stood up. He was small, with wavy long hair and lavender blue eyes. Luca hadn't even seen him. The crew snickered a he slowly picked his way around, before stopping in front of the two Pirates, He didn't speak but looked at them with a defeated look.

"Got a name Little bird?"

"Matthue Williams." He murmured softly.

"Wanna keep your skin then?"

"Yes sir, very much so."

Gilbert looked over at the First mate, nodding Luca side stepped to let Williams stand next to the other crew members. "Anyone else? No? Alright then, Gilbert dispose of the English dogs."

"With pleasure." The Albino drew his pistol and started picking them of one by one.

"The rest of you, get your asses moving. I vant all this cargo on the 'Und now!" He barked before looking at the pale faced prisoner. "And you, American, you're coming with me. Williams! Follow suit."

Alfred paled as he watched the Albino pirate slaughter the remainder of the crew. His stomach twisted in knots as he watched the body collapse into a bloody heap, and waited in horror as the brunette who took him across the cargo ship and, with a sword pointed at his back, forced him to cross a gang plank and board the Schwartz Hund, The small turn tail right behind them. Once on board Alfred watched his captors with a twinge of fear. Not all of the crew had joined the assault, by the looks of it only half had made the fight, the rest were stationed around the larger ship, some lounging as if their friends where not just slaughtering people, others were scrubbing and working. Alfred hated them all.

"Vash! Take this man to the brig for me. If he causes any trouble, empty as many rounds as you want into him." The Swiss man nodded and lead the American away.

It didn't take long to get down to the bowel of the ship, and while the silence grated his nerves at least the small blonde pirate wasn't as forceful or at least he didn't shove him around too much. The brig wasn't nearly as horrible as he thought it would be, sure it was dank and dark, but it was clean, and pretty tidy. Confused by this information he looked to the man named Vash speaking up. "Didn't think brigs were so clean."

"They're not, Captain runs a tight ship. No talking. Get in and stay quiet."

With that Alfred was shoved into a cell and left to sit in the dark. At least he was alive. For now…

~X-X-X-X-X~

As The crew worked on getting all the supplies onto their ship Luca and Gilbert made their way back to the captain's cabin. Both tired from the battle, it was only the vice-captain who was covered in blood, Luca as always looking as if he had just dressed save for the sweat on his brow. The brunette rapped on the door curtly before the grunt from within signaled for the pair of commanding officers entry. Without hesitation the white haired man pushed past the smaller and flopped down in a chair kicking his boots onto the table and grabbing a small handful of grapes. The blonde captain glowered but turned to the other.

"The crew is bringing the supplies aboard now sir." Luca address his captain with a kind smile before adding on.

"I do 'ave a slight issue 'owever. I 'ave a prisoner, and we 'ave a new crewman. A turn tail from the ship, it was only right to offer."

Ludwig raised a brow. "No of course Luca, this is vhy you are second in command. Find out his use, I vill meet him in time. Now as for this prisoner…did I not say no captives? I do hope you have a good reason for ignoring my orders." The blonde stood up and strode over looming over the smaller man before him.

Luca did not flinch as he stood unafraid before his captain. "Technically sir, he was not part of the crew, he was a stow away, I assume the rules of neutrality we have would extend to this situation. Besides, he has a strong left hook, perhaps he could be of some use?"

"You took him prisoner because he punched you in the face?" The pirate captain asked dubiously.

There was a moment of silence that stretched between the first mate and his captain. Ludwig reached out and roughly grabbed Luca's face and examined it. There was a dark purple bruise on his jaw, it wasn't overly terrible but the fact Luca had even been struck was impressive. Blue eyes locked with green as the captain tightened his grip, Luca narrowed his eyes. The moment ruined when Gilbert intervened, taking the tension in the room seriously.

"Bruder at least go look at his pet. You're going to crush his face and I rather like him pretty."

Luca darted his eyes over and glared, fear rising in his gut at Gilbert's carelessness. Ludwig sighed and let his face go. "Fine bring him to me on deck. Ve shall see if he is vorth the trouble."

~X-X-X-X-X~

It was dark in the brig, the only light source came from the cracks in the side of the ship and the floorboards above, were the sound of constant shuffling of boots can be heard. Alfred shivered slightly from the cool air, and the damp surrounding him, and despite the cleanliness he still felt dirty and tired. However, despite his situation Alfred took the time to get a grip on what had happened. The throbbing in his head only grew worse as he sat there, the fight with the pirate earlier had done him more harm than good, his hand hurt from the punch, and his eyes were burning from blow he had received. But Alfred felt proud of himself.

"Damn pirate, hope his fucking face hurts. He looked so pissed off." He chuckled to himself

Before he was able to actually exploring his surroundings the door to the brig swung open and the man from earlier walked in, he was wearing a different shirt now, black instead of white, and a bandage was pressed over his jaw, the faint blemish of a bruise on the edges made the American grin in achievement. Alone this time Alfred wondered if he could get away from him this time, but when he noticed the gun strapped to his leg he decided that it might be better to just do as he was told…for now. Luca rolled his eyes when he caught the prisoner smirking in his cell, the bastard has the nerve to smile at a time like this.

"I vouldn't be smiling so much if I vas you boy. It's judgement day and I'm the only thing standing between you and the sharks." Luca spoke evenly, his temper simmered down since the raid.

"Oh great, may as well say my prayers then. You'd fucking love to see me dive wouldn't you?" He spat back defiance rose immediately into his chest.

"If I wanted you dead stupid boy, I vouldn't 'ave brought you aboard. I vould 'ave shot you point blank."

Alfred opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he caught the pirates eyes. If he hadn't known better he would have sworn it was pity and concern for him. But this was a pirate, they didn't have feelings, they killed for fun, pillaged and raped. They were the lowest of the low. The blonde simply narrowed his eyes and scowled as the door swung open to his cell.

"Come along, captain Beildschmidt vants to see you." Luca turned and made his way back toward the door, not bothering to shackle the American.

With little choice Alfred huffed and followed slowly, being on a ship full of pirates prevented him from making a getaway, he would be captured and killed without thought, still he didn't want to give the man who took him hostage any satisfaction so he made sure to scuffle along slowly and sigh heavily. Luca shook his head and pushed forward as several crewmen came to see what the commotion on deck was. Stepping into the light Alfred could see three men standing in the middle of the deck, around them were deckhands crates yet to be put away. He stopped only when Luca did, a hand on his shoulder forced the American to kneel.

The first man Alfred looked at was the Albino he had seen earlier, this time he wasn't caked in blood. His hair was pushed back by a black cloth tied around his forehead. His ruby colored eyes full of amusement. Brown pants were swapped for black and a white shirt replaced the red one he wore earlier. Instead of the overcoat he wore a black vest and leather straps around his pale forearms. When he caught him staring he gave a wicked smirk and raised a snow white brow. Snorting at him Alfred moved on. The next man was blonde with long wavy hair and soft blue eyes. A scruffy beard lined his jaw. He wore a simple blue shirt and black vest, white pants covered long legs. He didn't seem very strong and by the smell of rose rolling off of him, Alfred doubted he was very dangerous. Moving on he took in the third man.

The first thing he noticed about Ludwig was his sheer size. Massive shoulders and full figure made up a terrifying 6 foot German. His blonde hair slicked back with oil and his blue eye full of boredom and annoyance. He had a sturdy jawline, large hands and a presence that made Alfred want to cower away. He wore all black save for his green Captain's coat, gold trim and buckles with a ruby broach pinned to the breast. Resting at his hip was a sharp looking sword, well-polished and taken care of, a pistol on the other side. Realization donned on him, this was the feared German pirate, Captain of the Schwarz Hund Ludwig Beildschmidt. His gaze was intense, as if he was looking right through him and Alfred had to swallow several times. When he managed to pull his gaze away from the Pirate, he looked over at Luca, who seemed unphased by the man.

"So this is it? This is vhat you saved? Luca he is barely bigger than you?" Ludwig barked his thick accent cutting into Alfred ears like knives.

"It is sir, though I fail to see 'ow one's size determines their vorth. 'ave I not proven myself?"

Alfred cocked his head. So the pirate was named Luca? Oddly he found the name fit him. When he spoke Alfred had to bite his lip, the tone of his voice only seemed to annoy the Captain, however Luca remained still, and planted. Taking this as a good sign Alfred continued to watched with baited breath.

"I'm willing to put my 'onor on 'is vorth." Those words caused a stir on deck as the crew shuffled uneasily, a hushed silence fell over them as they looked to their captain.

Ludwig knitted his brow heaving a sigh out of his nose. The blonde didn't look like much, he was small and dirty, barely looked old enough to be on his own, let alone to be called a man. He was thin and covered in dirt, a sight Ludwig found offensive. However, he did have good bone structure, but with little to no visible muscle on him the German was starting to question if this boy had really been the one to injure his first mate. Ludwig tilted his head to the side, his first mate had a point. Luca was easily the smallest man on the ship, yet one of his best fighters and the fastest on the draw. Still he mulled it over, if Luca was willing to put his honor on the line…

"If I let him live you are responsible for him Luca, 'e causes problem you answer for him. Are you sure he is vorth it?" Ludwig was deadly serious, the rules of his ship were absolute.

Alfred felt dread hang in the captain's words, steeling a glance he noticed for the first time since he was captured a change in Luca's demeanor. His face paled slightly, hard to notice from a far, but being this close he could see the color drain. His hands went from relaxed behind is back to balled up fists and his eyes shifted from bored to terror.

"…" the brunette stared at Ludwig for a minute and then glanced back over at Alfred.

"Vell?" the captain shifted his weight folding his arms, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, I a sure. I vill answer for 'im." The answer caused a ripple of hushed whispers in the crowd.

The German stared them both down before casting a stabbing leer at Alfred. Grabbing a dagger from his boot Gilbert placed it and a crate in between the pair. Alfred watched in confusion as both men stepped forward. Luca reached forward and took the knife, without hesitation he pressed the blade to his palm and without flinching sliced his hand open. Scarlet drops of blood slipped down onto the crate as he uncurled his hand and offered the blade to the tall blonde. Alfred watched as Ludwig did the same, then in a fluid motion they pressed their bleeding palms together and held it. A silent conversation passed between both men before the released their grips. Luca bowed respectfully and took a piece of cloth offered by the Albino.

"vhat is your name boy?" Alfred was pulled out of his trance by a booming voice of the captain.

"A-Alfred, Alfred Jones." He stammered as the captain made his way over to him.

"Vell then Jones, I hope you are prepared to work. I don't tolerate slackers in my crew."

With that The German turned and crossed the deck wrapping a bandage across his own hand, and returning to his quarters, the heavy wood door slamming close. Once he was gone the crew started to disperse, several casting curious looks his way. Alfred stood up as the blonde man released his shackles, Vash he thought the name was. Rubbing his sore wrists Alfred turned to the man next to him.

"What the hell was all of that about?"

The brunette only smiled, his face becoming younger "You just became a member of this crew. Velcome aboard Jones, go see Francis I doubt you vill be much use as a cabin boy Vith a concussion." Luca pointed to the rose scented blonde as he waved off the American and slipped away before Alfred could question him farther. Lost and dazed, realization slammed into him like a wave. Alfred Franklin Jones, just became the very thing he hated.

A Pirate.

A/N: and chapter two is done! I feel like this chapter seems off, but I'm still finding my groove so please bear with me!

*** Gilbert's position is more like an assistant to Luca, he has no real captain power on the ship, but because he is Ludwig's brother he gets special treatment and carries his own title. I hope this doesn't confuse anyone for reference here is the official titles (I also apologize for any missed mistakes…my Beta is A.w.o.l at the moment)

Captain Ludwig Beildschmidt

First mate/ Second in command: Luca Rosenburg

Quartermaster: Gilbert Beildschmidt (he doles out basic discipline)


	3. Duty and Distrust

Lovely Waves

Chapter three: Duty and Distrust

 **A/N: Well I'm back with chapter three! I'm on fire with this fict and hopefully it will stay this way.**

Alfred had to take a second to take everything in, he had just been forced to join a pirate crew, was smacked around, and he was pretty sure his life was going to be a living hell. However, he shoved that to the back of his mind as he slowly wondered over to the blonde pirate Luca had pointed to. Holding his bleeding arm to his side he stared up at the blue eyed man, clearing his throat.

"Uh, I guess I'm supposed to talk to you. He sent me over here um…Luca I think?" Alfred spoke softly.

"Ah oui! Come, come I will fix you up." He spoke fondly, his accent obviously French.

Following the tall man, Alfred tried to avoid making eye contact with any of the crewmen. Most of them were double his size and easily doubled his weight, back on the mainland he was pretty tall compared to most of his friends, but here he was truly representing the child he was. Sure there were a few he could take on with a chance, the Frenchman before him, the turn tail from the cargo ship, possibly the Vash guy, if he didn't have pistols. He wanted to think he had a chance against Luca, but as of now he wasn't sure. The guy was small sure, but there was something lethal about him that Alfred couldn't put his finger on, and in all honesty, he did owe the guy his life.

Once they crossed the deck they stopped in front of a door, scratched into wood was the word Doc. Alfred knitted his brow in confusion _This guy is a doctor? He barely passes for a man…_ he thought as the aforementioned blonde swung the door open with a flourish. Alfred ducked into the room following suit before closing it behind himself. The room was small and smelled heavily of herbs and wine. It was pretty soothing considering he was on a pirate ship full of men ready to lob his head off whenever it tickled their fancy. There was a wall lined with jars and boxes, glass containers along with dried stems littered the other free wall. A large wooden work table was pressed flush against the wall, covered in papers and bits of dried plants, silks and shirts tossed about haphazardly. The room was a tad messy but from the looks it was well contained.

"So are you like some witch doctor or something?" Alfred asked as he wondered in picking up a sharp looking dagger and testing its edge on his finger.

"Non, I am a real doctor. Well officially, mon cherie, I never finished med school, but I know enough to stitch a man back together." He smiled warmly as he sank into the nearby chair and patted the bed.

"Come, come sit! Let me see that pretty 'ead of yours."

Alfred hesitated but the throbbing in his skull won out over any argument. He got some weird vibes off the Frenchman but thus far he had been welcoming and polite so the least he could do was act civil. Taking a seat, he eyed Francis before leaning forward. Smiling Francis brushed his fingers across his forehead and peered at him. The lump wasn't too terrible but his nose was most definitely broken. He assumed Luca would have been rough but to do this much damage was not his style.

"You must 'ave really scrapped with Luca to 'ave this kind of damage non?" he chuckled leaning back and grabbing some linen and dipping it in a clean bucket of cool water.

"Ah, not really, he floored me in seconds flat." Alfred turned red and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Zhen 'ow pray tell did you break your nose, mon cherie?" Francis raised a neat brow, curiosity flooding his voice.

"Well…I may have fought a crate…"

"And ze crate won?"

"Yeah…"

Francis couldn't help the laugh as he poured a strong smelling oil on the now moist cloth. He pressed it to the shorter man's forehead and smiled at his relieved sigh. With a separate linen he began to wipe up the blood covering the American's jaw and lip, before gently working around his nose. "'old you 'ead back and take a deep breath." The Frenchman spoke giving him only enough time to do as asked before he gripped the blonde's nose and, with a swift flick of his wrist, popped the cartilage in his nose back into place. Alfred let out a scream as he felt blood rush forward once more only to be stopped by the cool rag Francis pressed to his sore face. He swayed lightly growing light headed, Francis holding him in place by his shoulder, hand keeping his head back.

"I know it 'urts, stay like this for a minute." He shushed before standing and grabbing a brown bottle and pouring some of the liquid in the cup. Offering it to the other blonde, "Drink."

"What is it?" He looked at it confused.

"Ale. Drink." He repeated pressing it into his hand and taking a seat again.

"Thanks" He nodded slowly before taking the bloodied fabric from his face and taking a swig, sputtering at how strong it was.

Francis for his part didn't laugh, though by the pained look on his face he certainly wanted too. The cup was set aside once emptied of its contents and thin fingers were back in the American's hair looking for any more damage. A soft sigh slipped from his lips as his hair was carded through, the gentle caress welcomed. Francis coughed to break his own thoughts, the younger man before him was actually pretty cute, but he was pretty much off limits for now. Finding nothing else wrong he leaned back in his chair and smiled at the wheat blonde before him.

"Well, other than 'aving a concussion and a busted up face, I think you will live. I recommend some warm food and some sleep. I'll send for some food later but for now you are more than welcome to rest 'ere for a while. Otherwise you are more than likely to be cowed by zhe rest of zhe crew." Francis waved his hand toward his bed.

"Oh, um alright thank you." Alfred knitted his brow and stared pointedly at the doctor.

"Iz there something on my face?" Francis asked noticing the look.

"You are pretty nice for a pirate…"

"I'm a doctor first, but not all pirates are bad. Despite what you witnessed today on zhat cargo ship, zhis crew doesn't have a bad person on it."

"Doubtful." He scoffed kicking his boots off and leaning back onto the mattress.

"Time will tell, mon cherie." He chuckled.

x-x-x-x-x—x-x

After handling the mess on deck Ludwig had returned to his cabin irritated but content for the time being. His brother had followed him into his cabin after the crew had dissembled. Grabbing his tankard, he took a long drag of his ale before leaning back and rubbing his face roughly. Gilbert sat on his brother's bed and watched him intently. His ruby eyes boring into the blonde until he sighs and looked up at him.

"Vhat?"

"Don't vhat me. Vhat vas all that about?" Gilbert knitted his brow farther.

"Oh vhat are you going on about now?" Ludwig groaned, kicking his boots onto the table with a thud.

"The Blonde kid with the jacked up face and that little standoff vith Luca." Gilbert quipped.

"There vas no standoff. Luca knows the weight of his choices."

"Ludwig, I don't understand vhy you vould even make a blood pact over this, he's just some stow away, nothing to bind honor on."

The German captain sighed heavily before sitting up and looking his brother in the face. "Luca, did not follow orders, stow away or not that kid should have died on that ship. Those traders have been scamming people for years, he shouldn't have been there, he is guilty of trespassing on a vessel none his own. My vord is law on this ship, Luca is lucky I respect him enough to trust his judgement."

Gilbert sighed heavily through his nose before kicking his way off the bed and grabbing his coat. "Alright fine, just take it easy on the kid. For vhat its vorth the kid has some grit, he did swing at your first mate and lived to tell about it."

"Yeah…" With his response the Albino left the captain's quarters and across the deck.

x-x-x-X-x—x-x

Gilbert pulled his coat over his shoulders as the wooden door snapped shut behind him, his red eyes scanned the busy workmen as the moved the crates and stored away new supplies. Others were scrubbing the deck and bannisters, some sat mending torn sails or frayed ropes. All in all, the ship was bustling with hard work and comradery. However, he didn't find the one face he was looking for, shrugging he made his way toward the stairs. As he clambered down he could hear loud laughing and hooting coming from the kitchen and the dining hall. Peering in Gilbert couldn't help the smile that etched its way onto his face. Luca sat in one of the chairs propped back, feet up on a table. His green eyes full of glee as he tilted his head back to laugh with the men. Several were seated around him, bread and mugs of fresh water sat scattered on the surface.

"I can't believe you did that Luca, surely he is going to have some punishment for you."

"Yeah, why'd you do it sir?"

"He's just some scrawny punk."

Several of the men piped up as the laughter died down, there confusion apparent as the smaller man leaned forward to look them all in the face.

"'e may be but a scrawny lad, but who 'ere vas not once small? 'e 'as a fire in 'is 'eart that burns so bright you can see it in 'is eyes. The same fire in mine, in Captain Beildschmidt's. The fire of freedom. That is vhy I put my 'onor on the line for 'im."

The crew men nodded slowly, a couple shrugged unconvinced. Gilbert smirked as he watched the whole exchange, Luca always was a bit of a rebel, only in a subdued manner. Stepping into the room fully, several pairs of eyes moved to look at him. He gave them all a toothy grin as he walked in and flopped down onto the table top. He locked eyes with the first mate before waving a hand at the others.

"Sorry to interrupt men but I need to have a word, vith First Mate Luca. If you would all give leave for a bit? Until I'm back top side?"

Grumbling the men stood and eyed Luca sympathetically. Luca on the other hand only rolled his eyes before reluctantly returning his chair to the floor. As the men departed Luca stood and cleared the table of mugs and bread, placing them on the counter in the kitchens for the chef to clean up later. Gilbert stood close by and watched like a predator, his eyes trailing every move the shorter male made. He leaned against a table and brought his hand to his mouth covering the smirk on his lips.

"Vhat do you vant, Gilbert?" he knitted his brow, his face relaxing gently now that they were alone.

"You, but more specifically I vant you to sit and drink this tea vith me and then keep me company for a few hours." He smirked taking two mugs of heated water and dropping in the tea leaves Francis had given him earlier.

Luca sighed but let a smile grace his face, he took the offered mug and sat down next to the Vice-Captain. "I guess I can spare you some time."

"Hmm, you better, it is far too hard to resist you when you strut around in those damned tight pants. Love seeing you lose your cool too." He grinned leaning into presses his lips against the shorter man's neck.

Luca tilted his head to the side making a pleased hum before pushing the albino's face away. He took a sip of the tea and could practically feel the heat spread through his limbs. A smile graced his lips as he ran his tongue over them, the sweet flavored tea made him hum in joy. Gilbert smirked as he too drank, always happy to see Luca drop his tough guy act and relax, he could understand why it was rare for him to do so.

"I never lose my cool, surely you know this." He pursed his lips, tauntingly.

"If you weren't so god damned gorgeous…" he spoke, leaning in to press his mouth to the First Mate's.

"You'd still have to work for this." Luca finished, returning the brush of lips.

A shiver passed down the albino's spine and he quickly downed the rest of his cooling tea and grabbed the brunette's shirt, pulling him forward to press his mouth hotly against his soft lips. Luca sighed and looped his arms around his neck, moving closer. It didn't take long for a low growl to escape his throat as he pulled his lover into his lap and made a move to bite at his neck possessively. Luca flinched at the forcefulness of the bites but keened as wandering hands flittered over his hips and up his sides. Shirts were untucked and buttons ripped away, as calloused hands made contact with pale, flawless skin. Ruby met Emerald in a heated battle before clashing in a mess of limbs and hunger.

"Unravel for me." Gilberts voice rasped low. The brunette grinned wickedly.

x-x-x-X-x—x-x

When Alfred finally awoke it was late, his eyes hurt and his face ached from the amount of action it had seen in the past 24 hours. He groaned as he rolled over, finding himself staring at the French doctor. His body was hunched over some herbs and spices, a mortar and pestle sitting full of a crushed mixture. It smelled nice and Alfred could hear his stomach gurgle in response to the tantalizing odor. Francis casted an uninterested glance over at his bed guest and smiled when they locked eyes.

"Good to see you 'ave not died. Did you sleep well, Alfred?" his voice was low and soft like he was speaking to a startled child, and in all fairness he pretty much was.

"Yeah, my body hurts like hell though." He sat up slowly and popped his back leisurely.

"Well zhat is to be expected. Dinner 'as passed already, but I 'ad Rodrich save you a little something. Are you 'ungry?"

Francis reached to the other side of his bench and pulled over a plate of food. Half a roll of bread, some grapes, salted meat and some boiled potatoes sat neatly on the wooden dish. Alfred's mouth watered as he caught the smell of it and eagerly took it from the Frenchman. He stopped short before taking a bite, eyeing it suspiciously. Momentarily he had forgotten he was on a ship full of murderous pirates. He couldn't trust any of them, not even the Doctor; he still served the tyrant Ludwig.

"What is wrong? Are you not 'ungry?" Francis frowned.

"How do I know this isn't poisoned?" he countered defensively.

There was a brief pause before Francis reared back and bellowed out a laugh. He clutched desperately at his sides as he doubled over from the force of his laugh. Tears pricked his eyes as he tried to hold it in. Alfred, not amused in the slightest scowled and sat the plate back on the barrel between them and pushed it away. As his laughter died down and covered his mouth with his hand, hiding the smirk. The kid was so eager to do things, but barely thought of consequences until last minute. He toyed with the idea of just soothing the boy, but if he was to make it on this ship with Luca's honor intact he was going to have to learn to solve problems on his own. Francis dropped his hand revealing a smirk and a dark glint in his eye.

"You don't. Zhat iz ze question, mon Cherie. Iz it safe? Iz it poison?" he asked sliding it back to him and narrowed his eyes.

"…" Alfred stared at the food. It looked safe enough nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He mulled it over. Would they really feed him poison? No, they would, but would the doctor?

"Well?" he prodded, a blonde brow lifted.

"Yes, it's safe." Alfred concluded. Why waste all the time only to poison him?

"Then eat."

"After you take a bite."

"And why would I do zhat?" Francis was amused.

"Why not? If it's safe, then there is no problem right?" Alfred countered.

"Call it a trust exercise, my pet. Just eat the food." Francis amended turning back to his work losing interest just as fast as he had gained it.

Alfred eyed him then the tray of food before him, reluctantly he took a bite, chewing slowly as he made eye contact with the Frenchman. He waited but nothing happened and he soon found himself eating more and more until eventually his food was finished, and the pain in his gut was gone. There was an amused glint in the doctor's eyes. Alfred grinned and took a drink of water that had been offered to him at some point during his dinner. After he was satisfied that his patient had received all of his proper care he went back to fiddling with the poultice before him. His long blonde hair was now pulled back with a blue ribbon, though the shorter pieces still hung in the way. His blue gaze was intense and his fingers plucked delicately at the thorny branch in his hand.

"Um, so what do I do now?" Alfred knitted his wheat colored brows.

"I suppose it would be a good idea to find Luca and thank him for saving your skin, and to find out what it iz zhat you will be doing on this ship." His voice was dismissive.

"Where can I find him?"

"I suppose you should check his cabin below deck. He is often there, but be sure to knock first, the last thing you want to do iz barge in on Luca. If 'e iz not zhere, check in vith the captain, 'e spends a good deal of time zhere as well." Francis waved his hand towards the door as he once more returned to his work.

"Oh, ok… Thank you, Francis. I think I'll go look for him now." He waited to see if Francis would stand, but when the other male made no move he shrugged and left the warmth of the doctor's cabin.

The cool sea breeze ruffled his hair, his blue eyes struggling to adjust to the dim torch lights covering the deck. It was late in the evening the sun just setting an hour or so ago. On deck several pirates scuttled about. Most of them were reclined against the banisters or on the wooden floor curled away among the ropes and boxes, relaxing before they would head off to bed or take watch. Alfred deciding it would be best to avoid bothering them and looked around for the stairs to the lower deck. He spotted a staircase; at the bottom was a ragged wooden door. As it clicked behind him he picked his way down below. It was much warmer, the wooden walls retained the heat of the sun from the day in its walls. It smelled of bread, beer and the unmistakable smell of men.

To the left he found the dining hall and kitchen, there were a few men in there, drinking and playing dice. In the group sat the gun wielding man from earlier, he seemed much more relaxed now, as he laughed alongside a brunette with a mole on his cheek. The others he had not yet met, and he hoped to avoid getting to know them, they were huge with scars and tattoos.

"If you are looking for Luca, you might vant to keep moving, he doesn't stay in one place too long." The brunette was the one to speak up, his violet colored gaze reaching Alfred's blue.

"Mmm." He murmured in response before moving on down the hall.

There were a couple other rooms and a small closet where mops and buckets were kept. When he reached the bottom deck he heard some noise off to the left. Figuring he would check there first he went to the door, remembering what Francis had told him, he knocked softly. There was a loud thud and muffled cursing. A short "One moment bitte," came from the other side followed by some loud shuffling. When the noise died down Luca opened the door, his hair was a mess, his shirt was untucked and his pants were hanging loosely on his hips. Alfred raised a quizzical brow but didn't question him on it, most likely he had just awoken from a nap or something.

"I um…Francis told me to come see you about my orders I guess?"

"Orders…Oh fuck yeah ok. Give me one moment to get dressed."

Luca stepped back and tucked his shirt into his pants quickly, his pants buttoned and hair fluffed into a neat arrangement. Alfred narrowed his eyes but watched unamused, he wasn't overly happy with the situation but the guy had risked his honor for him, so he'd at least listen to him. As he tied a black sash around his waist and motioned for Alfred to follow him up to the deck.

"Your job is simple really. You vill be a cabin boy, you vill clean out the cabins and scrub the deck. Gather and collect vater for the officers such as myself, Gilbert, Ludwig, and Francis. You vill do vhatever is asked of you vithout question. The captain runs a tight ship and so long as I 'ave my 'onor placed on you, you vill not do anything reckless or unsavory. Over time if you prove to be a 'ard vorker then you may move up in ranks but for now, you are lower than scum on this ship, and ve do not like scum." Luca clipped as they made their way to the lowest part of the ship.

It was dark and cool down there, but the sounds of waves were strong and loud. There were a few stray crates and nest, but mostly barrels of wine and water. There was a small closed in space toward the back. The brunette gripped the handle and opened it. Inside was two beds, a desk and some candle holders. There were linens folded neatly on both beds and the room was clean and smelt of candle wax and sea salt. Despite how small it looked from the outside there was plenty of room for two people to have a decent amount of space. Alfred ducked in, and looked around as Luca went and lit the candles in the back.

"This is the cabin boys room. As you can see there are two beds, you vill be sharing a space vith Williams. He is already doing some work on the second level in the kitchens. You may join 'im if you vould like, or you may explore, or got to bed. Tonight you live as a free man, but tomorrow at dawn, you become a Schwarz 'und pirate."

"I don't want to be a pirate." He scoffed bitterly.

"Vell as long as you live on this ship you vill be. At dawn you vill meet me on deck, dressed and ready. Do not be late." Luca raised a brow at him before adding, "There vill be clothes for you outside your door come morning. If you need anything you know vhere my room is, please feel free to come see me."

"yeah whatever sir." The blonde flopped onto his bed.

Luca paused at the door before closing it tightly. "I am sorry Jones, it vas the only vay to keep you alive. You can 'ate me all you vant, I am not sorry." The door clicked closed after that and Alfred was left alone to his thoughts in the warm candle light, mulling over the events of the past 48 hours, and the almost gentle voice of Luca. He laid back feeling heavy and tired, closing his eyes he allowed himself to drift off into a fitful sleep. Dawn was fast approaching and if he wanted to be well rested he'd better get some shut eye.

A/N: this was going to be so much longer but my lovely beta gave me an idea!

B/N: I'm already ready for more!


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